Every April, when the first in-season strawberries appear at the market, a simple bite can bring a flood of spring. This strawberry galette is designed to capture that moment. The dessert uses deep, red, juicy berries that fill the kitchen with a sunny scent. The recipe has been made for years with different fruits, including a pear version and an heirloom tomato and burrata version. The strawberry version takes advantage of the roughly six weeks when the fruit is at its best. It requires about 20 minutes of active work and roughly an hour for baking and cooling.
A Simpler Way to Bake a Pie
Galettes offer the reward of a homemade pie without the pressure. There is no need for a perfectly crimped edge, blind baking, or a lattice top. The dough is folded over the filling and pressed down, and the rustic, imperfect edges are part of the appeal. The recipe uses a frozen pie crust for convenience. A good frozen crust, such as Dufour or Trader Joe’s all-butter version, is genuinely delicious. Homemade pastry is also an option, but it is not required to make this dessert.
The Layer That Makes It Special
Before the strawberries go on, a layer of whipped cream cheese is spread across the center of the dough. This creates a creamy, slightly tangy barrier between the pastry and the fruit. During baking, the cream cheese soaks up some of the juice and transforms into something that is not quite cheesecake and not quite custard. If the cream cheese is not at room temperature, ten seconds in the microwave will soften it. The strawberries are tossed with granulated sugar, lemon zest, cornstarch to keep the filling jammy rather than soupy, and a pinch of salt. The mixture is mounded over the cream cheese. The dough is then folded over the berries, pleating as it goes. The crust is brushed with egg wash, sliced almonds are pressed into the dough after being tossed with a little extra egg wash so they stay in place, and a generous sprinkle of turbinado sugar adds crunch. Thyme is optional but adds an herby, floral note that works well with the sweet strawberries.
How to Serve This Strawberry Galette
The galette bakes until the crust is golden and the strawberries are bubbling and jammy, about 25 minutes. Some juice may leak onto the parchment paper, which is normal and looks attractive. The finished dessert must cool on a rack for a full hour before it is cut, so the filling can set. It is served slightly warm or at room temperature with a dollop of softly whipped cream. It can also be eaten for breakfast the next morning with coffee. The recipe uses simple ingredients and seasonal fruit and requires minimal effort for a beautiful result.
For the recipe: one frozen pie crust is defrosted in the fridge overnight. One-third cup of granulated sugar, the zest of one lemon, one pound of stemmed strawberries (about five cups) sliced, one and a half tablespoons of cornstarch, a small pinch of salt, half a cup of whipped cream cheese at room temperature, one beaten egg, a quarter cup of sliced almonds, one tablespoon of turbinado sugar, and optional thyme for sprinkling. The pie crust is allowed to come to room temperature for 30 minutes while the oven preheats to 400 degrees. The strawberries are combined with sugar, zest, salt, and cornstarch. The dough is rolled out on parchment to a 12-inch round and transferred to a baking sheet. The cream cheese is spread across the center, leaving a two-inch border. The strawberry mixture is mounded over the cream cheese, and the border is folded over the fruit, pleating as it goes and leaving the center exposed. The crust is brushed with egg wash. Almonds are tossed with a little more egg wash and pressed into the crust. Turbinado sugar and thyme are sprinkled on top. The galette is baked for about 25 minutes, then cooled on a wire rack for an hour before serving.
